


The Game Plan

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:31:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2437001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This could blow up in epic badness but you know what, it wouldn't be my fault. It wouldn't be because I'm taking it too seriously, like you're supposed to."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Game Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my awesome beta reader, [](http://calleigh-j.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://calleigh-j.livejournal.com/)**calleigh_j**. I wanted a better title but I couldn't think of a thing. This one works. I wrote this for the cm-exchange.

Garcia walked into Hotch's office with her arms full of folders. The Unit Chief was hunched over his desk, which was really nothing new. Garcia was humming to herself, carefully slipping folders into their appropriate cubby holes.

"That doesn't go there." Hotch snapped. "That doesn't go there, dammit!"

His vicious tone of voice actually caused Garcia to jump. Disoriented, she nearly lost all of her folders but something in her kept her grip on them.

"I'm sorry, sir." She whispered.

Hotch took a deep breath, hardly able to look her in the eye. He had always been a serious guy, particularly at the office, but Aaron Hotchner was not snappish. He was certainly never snappish with Garcia. There was a nice window seat on the express train to hell for people who snapped at Penelope Garcia.

"No," Hotch shook his head. "I need to apologize to you. That was inappropriate and out of line. I just...it's been quite a long day."

"It might be time to call it a night." Garcia suggested.

"Surely its past time." Hotch pinched his eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His contacts were starting to irritate him.

"Sir, do you mind if I ask what's bothering you? You've been...distracted...for a few days now. You can surely tell me it's none of my business but..."

Hotch sighed, handing Garcia the white envelope addressed to him. He could hardly look at her as she read the contents. It was so unbelievable that she had to read it twice. Still baffled, Garcia read it a third time.

"Forgive my frankness, Sir, but this is in extremely bad taste."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Your ex sent you an invitation to her wedding. You just don't do that. What does she expect, a gift?"

"We share a child."

"So she sent this to you because of Jack?" Garcia could barely conceal the skepticism in her voice.

"I think he needs to know that I'm OK with it." Hotch reasoned.

"It's perfectly fine not to be OK with it. You can be pissed, jealous, or even indifferent. You have a right to those feelings. Not that it matters what I think since you're going to the wedding anyway."

"How do you know that?" Hotch held out his hand and Garcia returned the invitation.

"Because you're a good guy, and you were raised right." She smiled. "Sending the thing was bad taste; not responding would be worse."

"Something like that." Hotch mumbled. He put the invitation in his top drawer where he surely wouldn't forget about it. He could pretend that it didn't exist for a day or two though. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Garcia. I've had a really long day."

"Apology accepted. Is there anything else I can do for you, Sir?"

"No. You should probably call it a night yourself. When is the last time you saw Kevin?"

"We had a quick but compelling conversation about Marilyn Manson and literacy rates over breakfast this morning. I'm trying to break him out of his Frosted Flakes habit. He can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner...he treats it like a food group."

"It has at least eight essential vitamins and minerals." Hotch replied.

"Oh my God, that is such a boy response." Garcia sighed, rolling her eyes. "Deep down you're all the same; all the keepers anyway. Bad apples come in so many varieties it's hard to keep track."

"Tell me about it. Go home, Garcia, you've earned your government salary today."

"I've probably earned yours as well, Sir. Goodnight."

"Night."

Garcia walked out and Hotch's eyes followed her. The bullpen was nearly deserted; it never truly was. His team was gone though and he needed to go too. At this point all he would get was a power nap. It was after midnight and Hotch liked to be in by seven. Sighing, he got up from his chair, turned off his desk lamp, and headed for the elevator. He knew he'd been saying it a lot lately but a power nap was better than nothing.

***

"I need your help."

"Anything you need, baby girl."

Morgan and Garcia sat in her lair on a rainy Wednesday night. He was carefully eating Chinese food that she occasionally shared. While cases still came at every turn, the team would be in Quantico for the rest of the week. Hotch thought they needed to get home at decent hours and tackle the paperwork piling up on their desks. There were other teams and they could get the job done.

"It's a complicated case...it could be dangerous." Garcia said.

"What are you up to, mama?"

"Hotch's ex invited him to her wedding."

"Are you kidding me?" Derek looked at her.

"I wouldn't sugar...I saw the invitation with my own eyes."

"Its bad taste but it doesn't surprise me. Haley is the spiteful kind. What are we doing?"

Garcia smiled when he said ‘we'. That meant he was in; she needed all the help she could get. Hotch wouldn't be an easy one to deceive though she hated to use that term. She, they, was doing this for his own good.

"We're going to get him the most magnificent date we can find and beat the former Mrs. Hotchner at her own game."

"Garcia, I admire your pluck; I admire it all day long. How do you think we are going to get Hotch to take a random woman to his ex-wife's wedding? Not even you could convince him to do that."

"Its simple...deception. Well, I hate even calling it that but I guess I have to."

"What's the plan? Who's the woman?"

"The woman is easier than the plan." Garcia replied.

"If you say who I think you're going to say then you're quite wrong about that."

"No one can deny they're perfect for each other."

"They can deny it." Derek said. "I think they've been doing a great job the past two years."

"That's where you, my sweet prince, and the deception come in."

"I cannot lie to Prentiss, Garcia. It makes my stomach feel weird."

"That's just soy sauce. You're a former cop and a top-notch profiler...I have faith in you."

"That's with the bad guys." Derek replied. "They don't know me, she knows me. She'll see right through it. It's a gift with her."

"Well if you don't then the plan is ruined. We're doing this for Hotch."

"It's not ruined. We just have to find someone we can trust who is finely tuned in the art of straight-faced deception. They have to be able to convince Prentiss that...wait, what are they convincing her?"

"They're going to invite her to the wedding." Garcia said. "I memorized everything on the card and wrote it down." She held up the purple 3 x 5 card. "Reid would be proud of me."

"How many times did you have to read the invitation?"

"Four, but you're missing the point."

"Forgive me." Derek said grinning.

"Just this once. The plan is simple...our guy invites Prentiss to the wedding; she shows up and so does Hotch. Ta-da!"

"It's so simple that it might actually work. The problem is we don't have a guy. We won't only need someone Emily would actually go out with, we need someone she's attracted to. Of course we don't want someone she might be too attracted to; I don't want her getting hurt."

"Emily is only too attracted to one man." Garcia said. "Well, there's David Tennant but he doesn't count right now."

"No," Derek rolled his eyes. "OK think Garcia. Deceptive but kind-hearted, smart, slick, and savvy...we have to know someone like that."

"Present company excluded."

"Present company excluded."

Garcia leaned back in her chair, crossed her leg, and used her fuzzy pen top to tap her cheek.

"Oh my God, oh my God," Garcia grabbed her phone on her desk. "I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier. It's so perfect I'm scaring myself."

"I have to admit that you're scaring me too."

"Fear not, my vision; this is too good not to work. Hi, Agent Rossi, it's Garcia. I need you to come with my office please. Thanks, bye."

"Are you serious?" Morgan raised an eyebrow. "I don't think this is going to work at all."

"You wanna lay some money on that?" Garcia asked.

"Lay money on Hotch, Prentiss, and now Rossi? Lay money on what could be a brilliant plan blowing up in your faces because it was cast all wrong?"

"Mmm hmm." She nodded.

"50 bucks."

"$100 and we have ourselves a deal. My skills should never be challenged."

"Deal." Morgan shook her hand.

***

"Dave?" Emily knocked on the office door before poking her head in. "You needed to talk to me?"

"Yes. Come in, Emily, and close the door behind you."

The profiler had a funny look on her face but she did as she asked. She sat down across from Dave's desk and watched him go over some paperwork, sign it, and add it to the stack in his outbox. Someone would collect them before the night was over.

"What's up?" Emily asked.

"My sister's youngest, Devon, is getting married." Dave said.

"That's great, Dave. How old is she?"

"She's um...twenty...something."

"Oh my God, are you serious?" Emily laughed. "You don't know how old your niece is?"

"I have a huge family. Do you know how many nieces and nephews I have? Most days it's hard to keep up."

"How many nieces and nephews do you have?"

"28. I'm almost positive that Devon is 26. She had an Elizabethan Court theme for her 25th birthday but I don't recall if that was last year or the year before that."

"Were you a court jester?" Emily asked, her smile making her whole face glow.

She really was a beautiful woman; it was too bad nothing would ever happen between the two of them. She was not his type and he surely wasn't hers. Dave felt good knowing he might be able to nudge her in the direction of the right man. He understood the cause of their apprehension but it was getting ridiculous. There weren't two people more right for each other in the world. Everyone saw it; everyone knew.

"Very funny. So Devon's getting married in two weeks at the Chevy Chase Country Club. I'm walking her down the aisle as her father died ten years ago. Her stepfather is good people but Devon never got close to him.

"Why are you telling me this? What's going on?"

"As embarrassing as this is, Emily, I need a date."

"You need what?" She asked. He couldn't possibly have just said a date. Emily was sure she heard him wrong.

"I hate weddings. The whole family gets together, all the cousins, old friends; it's unbearable. I'm doing this for Devon, it means the world to her, but I need a shield. I need an intelligent, funny, and attractive shield. There will be food, booze, dancing, and you'll probably be able to find out all kinds of secrets about me."

Emily just looked at him. She leaned back in the chair, studied him, and finally she smiled.

"Are you asking me on a date, David?"

"Absolutely not." He shook his head.

"OK," Emily laughed. "Now I'm really confused. What's going on?"

"I just don't like weddings. I don't do so well at family gatherings. I love my niece and when she asked me to do this I wasn't going to decline. Since I can't walk her down the aisle and the rush to an exit, I have to stay until what could be for me the bitter end. If I'm there with a friend, someone I'm comfortable with, it'll be a good experience for everyone. At least it'll be a tolerable experience. I'm doing this for Devon."

"I'll do it for Devon too; count me in."

"Really?" Dave asked, smiling.

"I've been to a couple of Italian weddings in my time. They've always been a blast. I'm intrigued at a chance to meet the Rossi clan in their natural habitat."

"The Chevy Chase Country Club is nowhere near our natural habitat. I owe you one, Emily; I was worried you might find this whole thing uncomfortable and tell me to shove off."

"Nah," she flagged away the notion. "I've been the ‘family approved' wedding date more times than I can recall. Remind me to tell you the story of my friend Carly and my three day weekend in New England as a bohemian lesbian."

"I will definitely do that." Dave was smiling, it had worked. The game was afoot and he'd won the set. The match was anybody's guess.

***

"I really appreciate your help." Emily said. "I was supposed to do this last weekend but the job doesn't care about things like shopping. Six days in California wore me out."

"Tell me about it." JJ slid into the booth across from her. "Shopping rejuvenated me a bit. Red meat will do the same." She opened the Clyde's of Georgetown menu. "There will be no turkey burger for me tonight...I'm going all the way."

Emily smiled but then her face turned solemn again. It was Wednesday evening, three days before Devon's wedding. She asked JJ to help her buy an outfit for the festivities so they actually left Quantico at a decent hour to shop the boutiques of Old Town Alexandria. In Bella Soho, Emily's favorite second hand designer place, she found something perfect. JJ gave it the thumbs up, especially after they found the shoes to match. Then it was off to dinner; shopping made a woman hungry. Their server, Kyle, came to take their order. Burgers and beer would be very good tonight.

"You've got a funny look on your face." JJ said. "Are you having buyer's remorse?"

"Even if I were there is no time for another excursion. Are you alright with this, JJ?"

"Alright with what?"

"Well it seems strange that Dave would ask me to this wedding." Emily replied. "Here he is with a chance to ask a woman out and he doesn't pick you. I thought he would've picked you."

"Why?" JJ asked.

"Oh please, I know he's crazy about you. I know that the feeling is mutual."

"Em..."

"What? Am I wrong?"

"I didn't say that," JJ replied. "Not that I'm saying you're right either."

"Uh huh. Did he ask you before me? You can tell the truth...I'm only doing this as a favor to a friend. Did you turn him down?"

"No."

"So what's going on here? I don't want to get in the middle of anything. I think there could be something really good with you two."

"There's nothing to get in the middle of, I promise." JJ sipped the Stella Artois placed in front of her. "Rossi didn't even ask me."

"Why not?' Emily asked.

"You're the profiler, you tell me."

"Oh God," she covered her eyes. "That's it, JJ, I'm not going."

"Emily don't be silly."

"I just don't want..."

"I won't even be in town this weekend. Dave probably knew that; he came in when I was telling Penelope about my plans to take Henry to New Orleans."

"You're going to Louisiana?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. Will and I aren't getting back together; I'm just taking my son to spend time with this father. It's important to both of us that we remain friends and raise him as together as we can. I wish it would've worked out better but we are doing the best we can. Maybe that's why Dave hasn't asked me out yet, if he even wanted to. Three's a crowd."

"In some circles, three's a party." Emily replied.

They laughed, drinking more beer and smiling when their server brought them two very large bacon cheeseburgers.

***

"Let's go over the plan one more time." Garcia said.

"Let's not and say we did." Rossi replied.

"I don't think you guys understand the seriousness of this venture. It may seem as if everything is falling into place but you have to know how wily these subjects are. This could blow up in epic badness, but you know what, that wouldn't be my fault. It wouldn't be because I'm taking it seriously, like you're supposed to. Let's not and say we did...are you serious?"

Rossi looked at her and then at Morgan.

"How much Red Bull has she had today?" he asked.

"Rossi!"

"Alright, alright," he held up his hands, laughing. "Saturday at 1:45pm, Emily Prentiss dressed in most likely something amazing..."

"Oh it's amazing." JJ said. "It's something Hotch will like very much."  
"Right. Emily will be dressed in something amazing waiting on the veranda of the Chevy Chase Country Club. Hotch will arrive and it will be something straight out of Love Affair. The plan is perfect, Penelope."

"Thank you." The tech analyst smiled.

"There's just one thing." Morgan said. "What if Hotch avoids the veranda altogether? If he comes the back way he doesn't have to go through the building to get to the wedding."

"But he has to go through the building." Garcia replied.

"Why?"

"Because if he doesn't **EVERYTHING WILL BE RUINED!** We didn't work this hard for something like that to kill the plan! Make it work!"

"No more sugar." Rossi declared.

"Calm down, Penelope." JJ put her hands on Garcia's shoulders. "He will have to go through the building. It's a wedding, which means nothing else will be happening at the country club while it's happening. Hotch will pull up front, a valet will take his car, and he will go through the front door. The veranda is unavoidable."

"What she said." Garcia replied, calming some. She went to grab her coffee but Rossi took it and threw it in the trash. He ignored her stern look.

"OK," Morgan said. "I just think we need to prepare for every scenario."

"We haven't gone over the nuclear holocaust plan." Rossi added, snickering.

"That's not funny." Garcia said. "We're doing this for two people we totally adore. They are two blind, stubborn, and by the book people who don't see that fate has dealt them a hand and they need to play it. We're doing this..."

"To give Hotch's ex the proverbial kick in the nuts." JJ finished.

"Exactly. So I think..."

"Hey, Garcia, I..." Emily walked into her lair, stopping when she saw most of her team standing there. "What's happening?"

"Nothing." They all answered practically in unison.

"OK, this feels like a Hitchcock film. The woman who is about to be murdered walks in and all conversation between conspirators ceases. What's going on?"

"I just came to get some paperwork." Rossi grabbed a stack of folders.

"I wanted to show Garcia the new pictures of Henry." JJ said.

"I'm always here." Morgan said.

Emily looked at them with a suspicious eye but was too tired to continue.

"It's going to be a long night." She said. "Hotch thought pizza in the conference room might be good...a group paperwork party."

"If he gets wings, count me in." Rossi said.

"And beer." Morgan added.

"Don't push it." Emily said. "I'll let him know you guys are in." She went to leave but turned back. "Actually, while I have you all in the same room, did anyone notice Hotch acting strangely lately?"

"Strangely how?" Garcia asked.

"I don't know, just anything out of the ordinary. He seems...off."

"Things haven't been easy lately." Rossi replied. "He's still reeling and recovering from those months he spent chasing Foyet. I don't even know if he should be back at work full time yet but he's here. I'm sure he's fine or he would say something to someone. We have to trust that."

"I'm just worried about him. I know sometimes I worry too much but...nevermind." Emily shook her head. "Pizza, wings, and maybe beer; I got it."

"Nothing light!" Morgan called after her.

"Oh my God, that was close." Garcia said. "No more secret meetings here."

"No more secret meetings." Rossi replied. "Everything is in place, we ran it perfectly. You talked about fate earlier; it's time to let it run its course. Now I'm starving."

They split up, heading back to the bullpen and separate offices as Garcia contemplated for a moment digging her coffee out of the trashcan.

***

She was nervous. It was twenty to two and people were already arriving and gathering to find their seats. Emily stood on the veranda with the gift Dave dropped at her place the evening before. She felt as if something strange was about to happen and she didn't like the feeling. He said he would meet her there at 1:45 to take her to her seat. The wedding started at 2:15 and he needed to be with Devon then.

Emily couldn't believe she was shaking....it was ridiculous. It was true when she told Dave she'd done this a million times. The problem was it had been at least three years since the last time. Why she was so nervous Emily didn't know, but she was. Placing the gift bag at her feet, Emily reached into her clutch purse and grabbed a clove. It would calm her nerves until she could get to the nearest open bar. She turned toward the door; people were coming out to go to their seats.

They spotted each other at the same time; she couldn't help thinking how handsome he looked in his suit. He wore a suit everyday but this was different. This wasn't off the rack that was for sure. It looked tailor made to fit him. Damn, he was so sexy. That was something that could never be faked.

"Need a light?" Hotch pulled a sterling silver lighter from his inside jacket pocket and lit the clove.

Emily smiled, inhaling deeply.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "What are you doing with a lighter; you don't even smoke?

"I was a Boy Scout in my youth; always be prepared."

"You look like James Bond." She ran her hand down his purple silk tie.

"And you look...breathtaking."

Emily wore a lavender vintage Isaac Mizrahi sundress. It had a thick strap over the left shoulder and a thin belt around the waist. The dress brushed past her knees and there were lavender slides to match. Emily's hair was pulled up in a fashionable bun; pearls in her ears. Not that he ever doubted it before but the irrefutable proof that she was a beautiful woman stood right in front of him. It took his breath away.

"Dave's niece isn't getting married, is she?" Emily asked.

"Not here; not today."

"Then who is?"

"Haley." He replied.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't exactly know how. I told you that I was bad at this, even though I want nothing more than to be good."

"You told Dave." Emily said.

"I didn't. I didn't tell anyone but..."

"Who?" Emily asked.

"Well Garcia saw the invitation two weeks ago. It was on Tuesday night." Hotch said. "I blew up at her and shouldn't have."

"Dave asked me on Thursday."

"We've been tricked."

"They've been tricked. We're kinda, almost, not really, but sort of together anyway, aren't we?" Emily asked smirking.

"Something like that," Hotch nodded.

"I'm not finding myself very angry about this situation." She replied, putting out the clove.

"I should have told you, Emily. I didn't know how but I could've figured out a way."

"Well, luckily Garcia is smarter than you."

"Very luckily." Hotch looked down at the bag. "Did we get a nice gift?"

"I honestly don't know. Dave brought it to me already wrapped. We should find our seats though; the wedding is going to start soon."

Hotch nodded. He picked the bag up and held out his arm for Emily.

"We'll put this on the gift table and make our way down to the gazebo. Are you still nervous?"

"I have butterflies in my stomach but I think the reason is entirely different than it was 15 minutes ago."

Hotch leaned over and gave her a tender kiss on the lips. He was grateful for Emily's presence and very grateful for Penelope Garcia's guile.

***

"May I have this dance?" Hotch stood up from his chair when he heard the voice of Michael McDonald, holding a hand out for Emily. She smiled.

"Of course."

They had been at the reception for over an hour; he knew they would be leaving soon. Hotch made it through the appetizer, the encore, the toasts, and the introduction of the new couple. Thankfully the ceremony had been short and to the point. Haley looked beautiful in her low-key crème colored dress. Her new husband, Paul Kehloe, a journalism professor at Georgetown, looked happy and handsome.

As he listened to the exchange of vows, remembered the breathless anticipation of wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone, Hotch found he wasn't very nostalgic for what used to be. Maybe he was being paranoid, which was unlike him, but he felt more eyes were on him during the ceremony than the new couple. He and Emily sat with Haley's co-workers as not to make anyone uncomfortable. They were new to her life since the divorce. He held Emily's hand and wished he knew what she was thinking. Afterwards there were cocktails and awkward conversation. It was too hard to avoid old friends and ex-in-laws so the veteran profiler decided not to.

Hotch smiled, was jovial; introduced Emily Prentiss as his good friend. Some looked at her with a suspicious eye. That was not lost on either of them. He figured Haley must have said something about the two of them. Hotch wasn't sure what, as he and Prentiss were barely friends while he was married. Haley had never said anything to him in reference to Emily but that didn't mean anything. The former Hotchners rarely spoke unless it was in reference to their four year old.

"Daddy!"

"Hey Jack!"

Crouching down, Hotch held out his arms and his son ran into them. His mother approached right after. Hotch put on a smile after kissing Jack's forehead.

"Aaron," Haley wore her picture perfect smile with her arm around her new husband. "I'm so glad you could make it. You remember Paul?"

"Hello, Paul," Hotch shook his hand. "This is my good friend, Emily Prentiss."

"It's nice to meet you." Emily shook his hand as well. "It was a beautiful ceremony."

"You look terrific, Emily." Haley replied. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"It was important to me to be with Hotch."

"Daddy, will you marry Emily now?" Jack asked. "Like Mommy married Paul?"

"Um..." Hotch's laugh was nervous. "It's a little more complicated than that."

"Why? You like each other, right? You have fun and kiss a lot like Mommy and Paul, right Emily?"

Emily laughed, unable to help herself. She pinched Jack's nose.

"If only life were that easy, kiddo." Paul said with a grin.

"Definitely." Hotch mumbled.

"Don't worry Daddy, I'll help you." Jack replied nodding.

"I really appreciate it." Hotch kissed him again. "I think Emily does as well. Right, Em."

"We'd most definitely love your help Jack."

"OK. I'll help you get married. It'll be easy."

"Well, that's not what..."

Hotch tried to fix it but it was no use. Haley wanted the conversation to be over. There were other guests they needed to talk to so she managed a polite goodbye. Hotch felt as if he was getting punched in the gut when Paul took his son from his arms. Jack managed to kiss his father and wave happily to Emily before being carried away by his mother and stepfather. Stepfather...Hotch didn't know if he would ever get used to that.

"He's adorable," Emily said. "Just like his father."

"Jack is much more interesting than I am."

"Oh I know that, I was just stating how adorable he is." She took Hotch's hand. "Lets have something to eat; I find food and drink makes time move a little quicker."

"You think Jack can help me get married?" Hotch asked as they walked back to their table.

"I'm sure he can do anything he puts his mind to, Hotch."

They walked out onto the dance floor, Hotch slipping his arms around her and pulling her close. He sighed when her hand moved up his back and across the nape of his neck.

_I know that you're afraid to love_  
You've been hurt before  
Love broke your heart  
So you closed the door  
Now here I am inside your world  
Wishing you'd let me in  
Give me half the chance to prove you wrong  
Baby, all your tears have come and gone  
Talking about a brand new start... 

"Everyone is staring at us." She whispered.

"I don't give a damn."

"Neither do I."

"I should've done this a long time ago." He said. "I was just afraid."

"What were you afraid of?" Emily looked at him, her hand coming around to stroke his face.

"You, me, my thoughts and feelings...you. God, if it were only as easy as my four year old seems to think it is. He doesn't know..."

Emily cut him off with a soft kiss. Hotch held her tighter, deepening the kiss as they swayed across the dance floor. He didn't care who was watching, he didn't care about anything but Emily in his arms. He and Emily liked each other, were having fun, and kissing. Maybe it was just that easy.

***

  



End file.
